Nowruz celebrates the Persian New Year. What does the spring festival mean in North Texas?

March 19, 2023; Dallas Morning News

The start of spring brings many North Texas communities together, including for a festival called Nowruz, or the Persian New Year.

Nowruz, which coincides with the beginning of the season, falls on Monday this year. The 13-day celebration is meant to usher in new beginnings and to bring blessings, health and prosperity for the new year.

For Iranian Americans and others observing the festival, celebrating Nowruz is “an act of defiance” this year, said Homeira Hesami, chairwoman of the Iranian-American Community of North Texas. The Iranian government has attempted to scale back the festival in the past, Hesami said.

“We hope to see the next Nowruz in a free Iran,” she said, adding she hopes people remember those who have died fighting for their freedom in Iran under the current regime.

Iranians aren’t the only group observing the Persian New Year. Most communities who speak the Persian language of Farsi also celebrate Nowruz, including people from Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Here’s what Nowruz means for people who celebrate it, how it’s celebrated and what it means to North Texans:

What is Nowruz?

The nearly 3,000-year-old tradition is partially rooted in nature, Hesami explained.

Nowruz literally means “new day” in Farsi, and it signals a triumph of spring over the dark winter months, she said.

“It’s a celebration of the rebirth of nature,” she said. “After a long winter and all of the darkness and cold, nature starts to become green and alive again.”

Nowruz begins on the spring equinox, when the sun crosses the celestial equator, equalizing day and night. This usually occurs on March 21, but varies depending on astronomical calculations.

The celebration lasts for 13 days, with the first 12 days each representing a month of the year. Nowruz culminates with a picnic known as Sizdah Be-dar, or Nature’s Day, in which people are encouraged to spend time in nature and enjoy a picnic outside with their family.

How is it celebrated?

Before Nowruz begins, many families will arrange a table with seven symbolic items, known as haft-sin.

Haft means seven in Farsi, and each item starts with the letter ‘s.’

While each table looks slightly different depending on the family, these seven items are typically on display: sabzeh, or wheat, for rebirth; samanu, or a sweet pudding, for wealth; senjed, or dried fruits, for love; sib, or an apple, for beauty; sir, or garlic, for medicine; somaq, or sumac berries, for “the color of sunrise” and serkeh, or vinegar, for age and patience.

Other items on the table may include lit candles, a mirror, decorated eggs and other objects that represent new beginnings and rebirth.

What does it mean for North Texans?

This year’s Nowruz celebrations come at a time of heightened political tension and strife in Iran. The country’s regime has come under fire for its record of human-rights violations, especially after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

“Especially this year, everything has a different meaning, because of all these uprisings,” Hesami said. “A lot of people have been killed, arrested, disappeared and executed … related to protests.”

She said she believes North Texans are excited about Nowruz this year, and hopes people honor those who have died fighting for change in Iran.

“We do celebrate, because those people lost their lives for Iran to be free, and that’s valuable.”